Do I Need A Football Agent?

When I first approach a player or parent of a young footballer, one of the first questions I get asked is why do I need a football agent? or what can an agent do for me?

So, if you are thinking about getting an agent here are some reasons you should at least consider and a few things to think about when choosing one.

Depending on what stage your career is at will change your need to have an agent or what you need from them. I mostley get asked this question is when I approach a young footballer who has just signed a scholarship or is about to.

In this case, the honest answer to why do I need a football agent is probably, not really and the honest answer to what will an agent do for me is not much really.

Of course, there are some things they will do. Offering support, help build your profile and get you ready for what is coming in the future to name a few.

In the main though, at 16 (when a player can sign with an agent) a player who has a scholarship with a club should be set for the next two years of their development… but what if something changes and you do need more than support and you do need an agent? Even when applying for college scholarships, you can find both pros and cons.

The Good Example

You make your debut at 17 and your club are really pleased with your progression and offer you a 3-year professional deal. How do you know you are getting the best deal? How do you know there are no hidden clauses that could affect your career in the future?

At this stage I guess you have two options:

1. Sign the deal
2. Get an agent

The Bad Example

It doesn’t work out at your club and you are struggling for game time. Who can you turn to for advice on moving clubs, going out on loan or just ways to get into the squad?

What if you are released at the end of your contract, leaving a club you have been at for 10 years with only a list of emails of clubs you can contact? who will help you find a new club?

Again, at this stage I guess you have two options:

1. Try and do this yourself
2. Get an agent

The answer

I always say it is best to get an agent as soon as possible because it gives you time to get to know that person and if they are not working for you then something can be done about it before it gets to the vital stages above.

Recently I was asked to help a player who had been told by a cat 1 club that he was not being offered a scholarship. His mum and dad didn’t really know what to do as they didn’t have many contacts in the football world. The player was going to play in the exit trials and that was it.

Four days we had him two confirmed trials and four other clubs interested who were making a point of watching him at the exit trials.

This is one way an agent can help, working quickly so opportunities are not missed.

What A Good Agent Can Do?

A good agent should help you establish short and long term career goals and help you achieve those goals. These can change very quickly but its always good to have something to work towards.

An agent will also communicate with team owners, managers, coaches, scouts and others on your behalf.

The agent you sign with should offer support and advice in maintaining a positive image in the public and a good connection with the fans.

They should also support you with your financial decisions if needed and basically let you worry about football on the pitch while they look after everything else off it.

It’s Not All Good, There Are Some Bad Ones

Unfortunately, the rumours regarding some agents are true and I have heard some horror stories from players about agents letting them down. Here are some short examples without using any names in both cases.

1. An Under-23 player at a cat 1 club was told at 18 that he would not be getting a new contract. His agent stopped answering his calls or returning his messages. When the father of the player finally got hold of the agent he was told that all clubs are full and suggested that he finds a local club.
2. A young non-league player told me that he signed with an agent when a pro club was interested in him. Unfortunately, the pro club didn’t offer a deal and after a few months, the agent blocked the player of twitter and whats app.
3. A professional player at a top English club with a very big agency had a move lined up with a football league club only for his agent not to arrive and complete the deal because he had to complete a bigger deal and I guess to make more money.

These are just a few examples and I have a lot more.

For those of you who were unaware Boreham Wood started the #FootballMustWin campaign back in the summer after an issue with an agent, you can read more here – Link

An agent only gets paid when players sign new deals so it’s in their interest to work for you to achieve this but it shouldn’t have a negative effect on the player’s career.

This is also why an agent will stop returning calls to a player who is being offered a new contract…… you suddenly have no value to them.

The first player I signed as an agent was playing in the Evo-Stik and had a bad time with an agent in the past, this made him reluctant to sign for two years with someone he had met twice, which is understandable.

I really liked him as a player and said let me show you we are not like them, we worked with him for a year before he signed with us.

14 months later I’m pleased to say that same player now plays for a Championship club. We put trust in each other and were both honest about the situation. We talk at least twice a week on the phone and have enough message to keep O2 in business.

Two Things to Remember

Number one, The main thing you have to remember is everyone in football has their own agenda. Clubs want what is best for the club, scouts want to protect their reputations, agents want to make money, parents what their kids to be a success.

These are general statements of course but true in most cases. This doesn’t mean that these people can’t have your best interest at heart but everyone has bills to pay everyone has jobs to keep.

For me, I sign a player because I believe that he can make it as a professional footballer and that is my main goal because if that player stays with me then I make money and I have done my job in helping that player achieve his dream and become a professional player.

Number two, this is your career and you should be in control of it. Agents, coaches and parents should assist you in reaching your goal of becoming a professional footballer.

It’s not an easy decision

To sum up, getting an agent is a sound investment but it’s not an easy decision to make. The best advice I can give is take everything at face value, ask yourself, do I like this person? do they seem genuine? Are they going to work with me or in their own interest?

Don’t let fancy offices and promises of a meeting a top footballer influence your decision, pick a person you think is right for you.

I plan to write more post about the questions I get asked and advice for young players, so if you have anything you want to ask then please get in touch.

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